Food

Warning: Contains ugly photo. Really.


In protest against the Architecture Faculty's expensive Bollywood-theme dinner ball, we decided to have our own little dinner after a long talk by a Professor Jane Rendell, who gave a rather extraordinary and profound talk on Decentralising and Recentralising. Which happens to mean... z.zzz.z .z.z z. 


Anyway, she does have a website which renders a picture of what her talk meant to a Level 2 architecture student's mind. That is definitely more interesting than the previous link.


Returning to the topic, we (Malaysians) invited our (2 Nepalese and 1 M'sian) friends over for dinner. And since they cooked dahl (something like this), it made dinner multicultural. For dessert, we had a round the table talk of different types of vegetables we hope to plant in our garden, and, Nepalese dishes that they should cook for these culturally unaware Malaysians. 


Anyway, this jolted a haunting memory of a dished cooked a few days ago when a house mate decided to spice up the rice we usually have. If indeed you are a brave soul to have stayed so long, take a guess of what ingredients were used.

The end result is scary. The smell, downright deceiving. The taste, marginally poisonous. The texture, semi-liquid, and the sight, nightmarish.


Which incidentally, dug up a memory once thought lost in the cobweb filled corner of the mind, of a cross-continental fight with United Airline back in 1999 from San Francisco to Orlando, Florida. And since it was nearly a 5 hour flight, they served passengers something to eat. Indeed it is something as it did look similar to the photo above. And the "plopping" sound it made when pressed with a spoon echoes somewhere in the ear.


Of course, it has been nearly 10 years ago since then. I am quite sure they have improved their menu significantly. There was no way of verifying this since I never flew with them since the return trip...

Hazardous Combination

Father's Day, Pastor, Pride and Prejudice, Bicycle Seat. That is.

A few weeks ago in one of the Uni's Christian Group meeting, we had a fervent discussion about watching classic movies. The Pastor's wife (of this Christian Group) gladly recommended that we watch Pride and Prejudice (not the 5-hour 6 episodes version, although she has it) to the silent protest of the Pastor. He prefers a more 'manly' movie.

Poster above: Taken somewhere from the Internet.

And thus, to celebrate Father's day last Sunday, we gathered at the Pastor's house for dinner and classic movie on top of the hill.

Not a bad idea.

However, a combination of bad planning and being a cheapskate, it was indeed a challenging journey from my house at the bottom of the valley. The alternative to walking at that time was my friend's bicycle.

Pic above: Father Killer

A bad bicycle seat can make one relive the journey even after two days it has ended. The sensation still lingers at the back of your mind and at the crotch. My friend told me upon returning his bike, was to get used to it.

The movie was indeed interesting. Sure, Keira Knightly was in the movie, which is a huge plus, but the beautiful Georgian and Victorian architecture. Makes one wish and desire the opportunity to reside in one of those babies.

Perhaps I should watch the movie again. This time I would pay more attention to the story. And Keira Knightly.

If you don't know Keira Knightly, click here.

If you don't know where I stay, click here.

The Weather

When we talk about Australia's weather, we think of heat waves, dry hot sun, low to almost no humidity dessert. Well, those frogs (in the well), would have only thought of the vast desert and forest fires that we hear about in the news (in Malaysia). Poor people who lost things and love ones due to that.

Not in Launceston! It was summer the other way round. Arriving on the last few days of February, the weather was low cast and cold. Same like Melbourne during the two days stopover. Windy and chilly too. If there was a thermometer around, it would say -15˚C. Wait, or is it without the negative sign? 

Anyway, now it is officially autumn (slow news report. It was since 1st March), the wind is even stronger, water is colder, rains more regularly, cloudy and overcast more than sunny. Eh. Yeah. Here is proof. 

Looks like Cameron Highlands eh? Well, on other days, it looks like this.

Yeah, weather extremes relatively compared to Malaysia. Brrr.... Hope it looks like that tomorrow. It is laundry day. No one to wash my clothes for me. And fold it. And keep it..

I need a maid.

The Beginning of The End

Question: Which is better? Working or Studying?
Answer: Working makes you brain dead; studying causes fatigue.

Five months of practical training/industrial attachment/working part-time/cheap labour/slave trade in two different firms sure is great learning experience. It was a strange experience for me. I supposed that while it is quite a challenge to be working for two (and a half) firms, it is a great learning experience.

One is a construction firm, the other an architecture firm (with a town planning firm/department, hence the half). Both are related to each other, but cover two very different aspects of the same industry.

Which is better? I spent more time in the arch firm than the construction firm. Which happens to be a more healthy option because almost half the guys in the construction firm smokes (in an office with a/c). But hey, who said the construction industry in Malaysia is an easy job (or not corrupted)?

Yes, I know I am getting off tangent. I need to really think before I type. So while I think, here are some pictures for your viewing.

Architect Joke
A: Can I borrow your colour pencil.
B: Don't have it with me lah. But I have it at home
A: Your pencils will be too small lah (pointing at house models)
B: Err... hahahhaha..
*Note: This is where you laugh (uneasily) too

The pictures below are unofficial site visit to Sunway South Quay at night while I have my trusty camera next to me and ample time on hand




Thinking still in progress..

Yup, Cheers!

Sunday Free

Bizarre news: Having Sunday free from anything.

Yeah, that means no Church, no rushing to somewhere for some event or dinner.

Not entirely true either. I had agreed to a morning breakfast which I suggested the evening before to a group of church people after service. It was rather random on my side because:

1. I would not have agreed to joining anyone for anything expensive at any given time unless it is paid for or I am going to meet someone special.
2. I suggested dim sum.
3. I hardly join their company of hangouts 98% of the time.
   

So, today at 0830hours, I drove down to Klang to meet them for dim sum breakfast buffet. It turned out to be the place where "un-know" was gathering too. This would provide an opportunity for us to see a fiery youth of un-know taking. Fortunately he and his went to a conference hall while we had our halal dim sum.

I tried to play it cool in front of my church friends but within I felt rather excited and jackoon at the same time. How rare is it that I could take anything I want without fearing the consequences of adding the numbers on the bill. The dish above is made personally just for me right in front of my eyes using my own hands.

The next picture shows how the table looked like after the dim sum has been cleaned by some male members of church for the 70th time. And the waiters, God bless them, came to the our tables like flies to, er... waste, after each round to make way for vicious cycle of gluttony.



The whole session ended after what seemed like an eternity later (1100hours). We rolled ourselves out with our bulging slightly belly. We went on our ways after a brief typical post-CBC-event/gathering-culture.

The drive home seemed to be the highlight of today's outing. It somehow did not matter that I took the wrong turning or longer route, nor was it how the warmth of the late morning sun was beating onto my skin. Neither was it how quiet the car felt when driving alone, along the empty highway.

It was about being able to drive in the day time to a destination without needing to worry what is going to happen next. It was about being able to sing a tune of a song which keeps playing over and over in my mind with the help of the broken car radio. It was about singing about how great God on a Sunday morning without anyone prompting. It was about keeping cool with help of the breeze coming in through the car through the open window.

It felt great. Yes, currently my life's greatest irony: The idea of being able to be enjoy and be free.

Cheers!

Wedding in Jan

Sure.. no good pictures taken. But, it is the union of Mr and Mrs Soo. God Bless them. =)